Helgustadir mine, Historic calcite mine near Eskifjörður, Iceland
The Helgustadir mine features two distinct sections, an upper and lower mining area, spread across 0.9 hectares of protected land.
From the mid-17th century until the 20th century, this mine supplied Iceland spar crystals for scientific instruments worldwide before synthetic alternatives emerged.
The Museum of Natural History in London displays a massive 230-kilogram crystal extracted from this geological formation in eastern Iceland.
The Environment Agency of Iceland maintains strict regulations prohibiting visitors from collecting or disturbing any mineral specimens within the reserve.
Scientists value this location for producing the largest and most transparent Iceland spar specimens, essential for creating Nicol prisms in optical instruments.
Inception: 1975
GPS coordinates: 65.03360,-13.85260
Latest update: March 4, 2025 03:32
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